MIDDLETOWN — The request would have been met with an apathetic sigh not long ago. But attitudes have changed, and continue to change, at Middletown High School.

So when track coaches Eric Hipsman and Lindsay Hammer sought volunteers from their program for on-site help of New York City folks hammered by superstorm Sandy, the Middies pulled through with pride. Middies pride.

There is a lot of that going around these days.

Only 20 kids could go to make room on the bus — kindly donated by Mid-City Transit — for goods and supplies. The sign-up list mushroomed past 20 within 12 hours. Many kids who were turned away made donations, as did athletes in the girls' soccer, lacrosse and football programs.

Batteries, water, food, blankets, cleaning supplies. These were the main items needed. But the Middletown kids and their chaperones will bring a few other things to a Manhattan church on Monday, where they will be sent out to help people in need. They will bring the promise of teen energy and hope.

"I wasn't going to sit back and let people suffer,'' said sprinter Ashawn Bryan, whose aunt in New Jersey lost her home in the hurricane. "I just wanted to help. My mother has always told me to help give back to less fortunate people.''

"We noticed that there are a lot of people down there still without power," said speedy standout Shakoy Burton. "It's a good way to show people that we care.''

These are the same kids who go out in the community lending a hand. They participate in community cleanup days and pick up garbage. Each year the track program organizes a run in which its athletes carry daffodils from the school to St. Teresa's Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on Highland Avenue. They walk into the home and hand out flowers to folks who might need a smile or a reminder that people care. Especially kids.

"Five years ago,'' Hipsman said of his track athletes, "we wouldn't have had one kid sign up and volunteer.''

A thoughtful group of seniors started to break barriers in 2008. Peers paid attention to the community involvement. New leaders have emerged.

"Now,'' Hammer said, "they are coming up with stuff on their own.''

The pastor in Jonathan Pierre's church singled him out for his volunteer plans during a recent service. Pierre is the spokesperson for Middletown Athletes Care, which volunteers in the community and raises money for school activities. He spreads the message to Middletown elementary school kids, many of whom will one day follow Pierre's lead.

He worked in New Jersey over the summer as a camp counselor. Pierre called people to see if they were OK. Many were ravaged by the storm. So Pierre can't wait to help out in NYC.

She's looking for a college that can suit her needs athletically and academically. Guerrero wants to be a singer and actress. Her favorite race is the rugged steeplechase, which involves 3,000 meters of oxygen debt highlighted by hurdling barriers into small ponds of water.

"I like those kinds of things,'' she said.

In other words, much like her teammates, Guerrero loves a good challenge. That's why they get their hands dirty in athletics, and why they will spread their message of hope and promise in New York City.